Managing Research Data

Jessica TreloganData Management Coordinator,

UT Librariesj.trelogan@austin.utexas.edu

What are “data”?

What are “data”?

Natural/PhysicalSciences

Social Sciences Humanities

Observational Qualitative Raw

Experimental Quantitative Primary

Simulation Interpretive/Derived

Compiled

National Science Foundation:

“…determined by the community of interest through the process of peer review and program management. This may include, but is not limited to: data, publications, samples, physical collections, software and models.”

From FAQs: https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/dmpfaqs.jsp#1

National Endowment for the Humanities

Includes: • citations• software code• algorithms• digital tools• documentation• databases• geospatial coordinates • reports and articles

“…materials generated or collected during the course of conducting research.”

Excludes:• preliminary analyses• drafts of papers• plans for future research• peer review assessments• communications • confidential materials• information violating privacy

From: http://www.neh.gov/files/grants/data_management_plans_2016.pdf

What is Data Management?

A collection of tasks practiced throughout the lifecycle of research that make it easier to find,

understand, navigate, and use your data.

condensedconcepts.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html

Save time and money

Maximize your impact

Allow for reuse

Do better research

Why bother?

It’s required.

Why else?

Data Management Plans

A data management plan (DMP) is a written document describing the nature and structure of the data you will likely use or produce in the course of research, along with your strategies for dealing with it throughout and after your project.

https://dmptool.org/

Common Elements of a DMP

1.Data description

2.Data documentation

3.Access, sharing, re-use

4.Storage and backups

5.Preservation and archiving

6.Resources and responsibilities

flickr.com/photos/craightonmiller/8161895185

Test your plan

Automate where possible

Create snapshots

Ensure complianceOffice of Research Support:research.utexas.edu/ors/

Collecting data

Photo by Jessica Trelogan

Re-using dataFind the right data

• Subject specialists: lib.utexas.edu/subject/index.php• re3data.org

Integrate

Know your sources• Restrictions• Copyright• Data citation

datacite.orgailla.utexas.org/site/citation.html

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Messy_storage_room_with_boxes.jpg

Organize

File Names

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1323

Be descriptive, not generic

Include dates

CamelCase vs Pot_hole_case

No funny characters"/ \ : * ? " < > [ ] & $

Describe your convention

Use a batch re-namer

Non-proprietary, open standards

Used commonly in your domain

Encoded with standard characters

Uncompressed (?)

DROID

http://www.loc.gov/preservation/resources/rfs

File Formats

Sharing active dataEnsure easy access

Avoid duplication

Control versions

Keep a list

https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/systems/stampede

Passwords

Encryption

Updates

Backup strategies

Sensitive data

Security

https://pixabay.com/en/privacy-policy-data-security-445153/

Storage optionsUniversity of Texas

• Departmental: server space by ATS• 2 TB in Box• UTMail (Google Drive)• 5 TB at TACC• ITS: VMs

Other Cloud• DropBox• Google Drive• iCloud By Evan-Amos - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27940250

Document, Document, DocumentData only useful if understandable!

Metadata

Readme.txt (use a template)

Codebooks/lab books/field notes

Data Dictionaries

Electronic Lab NotebooksPhoto courtesy of Institute of Classical Archaeology

Managing Sensitive Data

• UT Information Security OfficeExtended List of Confidential Data:https://security.utexas.edu/policies/extended-cat-1

• Office of Research SupportInstitutional Review Board (IRB)

Katharine Menke, IRB Program Coordinator Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) Conflict of Interest section

Preservation and AccessTexas ScholarWorks: to preserve and promote scholarly output. https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/

re3data.org : find your disciplinary repository.

Archive of Indigenous Languages of Latin America:http://ailla.utexas.org/site/welcome.html

UT Dataverse: (coming this Fall) to preserve and provide access to research data. http://data.tdl.org/

Central location for accessing data management resources on campus

http://lib.utexas.edu/datamanagement

Jessica TreloganData Management Coordinator

512-495-4267j.trelogan@austin.utexas.edu

Upcoming Workshops

Introduction to Copyright & Fair UseOctober 6, 2-3pm, PCL Learning Lab 2

Introduction to OpenRefineOctober 17, 1-2:30pm, Scholars Commons at PCL, Data Lab

Writing a Data Management PlanNovember 2, 12-1pm, PCL Learning Lab 2

DMP Deep Dive

Common Elements of a DMP

1. Data description

2. Data documentation

3. Access, sharing, and re-use

4. Storage and backups

5. Preservation and archiving

6. Resources and responsibilities

http://datasharing.sparcopen.org/

https://dmptool.org/

1. Data Description

What data will you gather or create?• File types, formats, volume

• Methods and context of data collection

• Discussion of data sources

• Structure and organization of data files

• Data validation, quality assurance

• Data transformations or processing steps

http://www.csr.utexas.edu/rs/gallery/valley/dscn0064.gif

2. Metadata

• Type and form

• Metadata standards

• Basic details

• Definitions of variables, units, codesBy Sobebunny (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

What documentation will accompany your data?

3. Access, Sharing, and Reuse

• Have you gained consent?

• Who will have access? When? How?

• Are there any restrictions?

• What are the approved uses?

• How will you protect sensitive information?

From: http://www.trendmls.com/guest/News/ShowDoc.aspx?id=771

4. Storage and BackupsWhere will you store and back up your active data?

• Do you have enough storage space?

• Do you need security measures?

• How/how often will you do backups?

• What’s your recovery plan?https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5304/5699142587_4d7b539a6c_b.jpg

5. Preservation and ArchivingWhat is your long-term preservation plan?

• What data should be retained? Shared? Destroyed?

• How will you maintain and curate it?

• What future uses are there?

• Where will data live after the project? For how long?

• Are there any future costs?http://theamazeworld.blogspot.com/2010/10/fossils-of-extinct-technology.html

6. Resources and Responsibilities

• Will you need additional help?

• Software? Hardware?

• What is this going to cost?

• Who is responsible for what?https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/systems/stampede